Report Claims Man Utd Interest 'Almost Certainly' Over After Harry Maguire Signs New Contract

Leicester City defender Harry Maguire put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at the King Power Stadium, which will "almost certainly" scupper any chance of joining Manchester United in the near future, according to reports.

The 25-year-old appeared to be flirting with a move to Old Trafford throughout the summer after his stunning World Cup campaign with England, where Maguire scored and assisted a goal as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals.

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One apparent stumbling block for Maguire upon his return from the World Cup was that Manchester United had undergone somewhat of a scattergun approach in their hopes of landing a new defender, as opposed to focusing on one target.

In the end, a concrete move for Maguire - as well as United's other targets - never materialised and the England international was forced to remain East Midlands, where he has since gone on to sign an improved five-year contract until 2023.

The Times suggests that Maguire's decision to sign a new deal with Leicester City will end his chances of joining Manchester United in the short-term, with the Red Devils now expected to focus on their other transfer targets.

"If we were successful at the World Cup, as we were, there were always going to be players who came under interest that is part and parcel of the game," Maguire admitted just days before details of his new contract were confirmed.

"I spoke with Leicester after a bit of interest from clubs, they reiterated that I wasn’t for sale and I respected that decision."

United's expected decision to drop their interest in Maguire will hardly come as a surprise for fans regardless of his new contract, largely because the club's long-term target Toby Alderweireld's contract expires in 2019.